Rail-joint.



- Patented May l4, l90l. J. TRILLING 8:, M. WENSAUER. I

v BAIL JOINT.

(Applicafiion filed Mar. 6, 1901 (NoModeL) 9 m my r. \Axfi a i m, a.\ Q k 1, 7/ 0 j gitudinal sectional View thereof.

UNITED STATES PATENT 'Okrricn.

JOSEPH TRILLI'NG AND MAX WENSAUER, OF SIIEBOYGAN, WISCONSIN.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,323, dated May 14, 1901 Application filed March 6,1901. Serial No. 50,115. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOSEPH TRILLING and MAX WENsAUER,citizens of the United States, residing at Sheboygan, in the county'of She boygan and State of Wisoonsin,have invented a new and useful Rail-Joint,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rail-joints, and has for its object to provide an improved joint in which the parts thereof are reduced to the minimum and at the same time the strength and durability of the joint are preserved and increased. It is furthermore designed to arrange for compensating for the contraction and expansion of the rail-sections and also to obviate the jarring and pounding of carwheels in passing over the joint.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompan yin g drawings,and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the adjacent end portions of two railshown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, it will be apsections connected by means of the present form of rail-joint. Fig. 2 is a horizontal lon- Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail perspective views of the opposite terminals of the rail-sections.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate the opposite rail-sections, which are of common or ordinary form, except that the section 2 has the end portion of its web thickened or enlarged,-as at 3, so that the rail-section may not be weakened by the formation of the longitudinal bifurcation 4, formed therein and extending from the top to the bottom of the rail, the upper portion of the bifurcation being laterally enlarged, so as to form the opposite longitudinal ledges or shoulders 5, said enlargement being entirely in the tread of the rail. Corresponding bolt-openings 6 are formed transversely through the opposite sides of the bifurcated portion of the web. The other rail-section is provided with a reduced tongue 7, extending in the plane of the web thereof, and is formed by cutting'away opposite sidesof the web and the flange, the tread of the rail also being reduced in width to fit snugly the enlarged portion of the bifurcation in the former rail-section, as the 'tongue is designed to be fitted in the main portion of said bifurcation.

, In assembling the rail-sections they are fitted endwise into one another or the tonguesection is placed downwardly upon the other section, as may be most convenient, the latorally-projecting shoulders 8, formed by the reduced tread portion of the rail-section 1',resting snugly upon the ledges 5, formed by the enlargement of the bifurcation, whereby said reduced tread portion is effectively braced by the other rail-section. Suitable bolts 9 are passed transversely through the corresponding bolt-openings of the bifurcated rail-section and also through the corresponding longitudinal slots 10 of the tongue, there being no fish-plates required, as the web portions of the rail-sections overlap and take the place of the usual fish-plates.

From the foregoing description,and as best parent that a practically continuous rail is formed by the present rail-joint, thereby avoiding the jarring and pounding of carwheels, and thus increasing the strength and durability of the joint. The thickening of the Web portion of the rail-section 2 is designed to overcome weakness at the bifurcation, and the web of the section 1 is also thickened, as at 11, at the base of the tongue, so as to strengthen and stiffen the latter and also form a broad shoulder. to abut against the thickened end of the opposite web portion. The bolt-slots of the tongue permit of the rail-sections working in opposite directions under the influence of contraction and expansion without affecting the joint.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the bifurcation and tongue may be out after the rails have been made by the usual rolling process, and therefore Without injury to the rails.

What is claimed is-- 1. A rail-joint, consisting of opposite railsections, one of which has a terminal longitudinal bifurcation extending from the top to the bottom of the rail, and having its up per portion enlarged to form oppositelongitudinal ledges or shoulders, and the other railsection having a reduced projecting Web portion forming a tongue to fit snugly Within the bifurcation of the former section, the tread of said other section being reduced to fit snugly Within the reduced portion of the bifurcation, whereby the laterally-projecti ng longitudinal shoulders of the reduced tread portion rest snugly upon the corresponding shoulders of the bifurcation.

A rail-joint, consisting of opposite railsections, one of Which has its Web terminally thickened and provided with a longitudinal bifurcation extending from the top to the bottom of the rail, the upper portion of the bifurcation being laterally enlarged in the tread portion of the rail, and the other railsection having a longitudinally-proj ectin g reduced tongue in the plane of its web and extending from the top to the bottom of the rail, and having an upper tread portion, which is narrower than the normal tread portion and projects laterally at opposite sides of the intermediate tongue portion to vform opposite longitudinal shoulders, the tongue being fitted within the bifurcation, with the tread portion thereof in the enlarged portion of the bifurcation, the shoulders ofthe tongue lying upon the corresponding shoulders of the bifurcation, the opposite sides of the bi-' fu rcated Web having corresponding bolt-openings, the tongue having longitudinal slots lying between corresponding bolt openings, and bolts extending through the corresponding bolt-openings and the respective slots.

In testimony that we claim the foregoingas our own We have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH TRILLING. MAX WENSAUER.

Witnesses:

H. II. MAYER, FRANK W. MARGENAU, Jr. 

